Hyderabad: According to the Urban Nutrition Report which was released on Tuesday by the National Institute of Nutrition, 34 per cent of urban men and 44 percent of urban women suffer from a chronic deficiency of energy.
This deficiency is observed in overweight as well as undernourished individuals.
The survey has revealed that boys are excessively thin and undernourished during their teenage years as compared to girls. The deficiency of energy experienced by them is the result of the inadequate intake of micronutrients such as iron, thiamine and niacin.
On an average, people consume 128.3 per cent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C, 101.1 per cent of the RDA of folate, 89.8 per cent of the RDA of protein, 67 per cent of the RDA of calcium, 61.3 percent of the RDA of niacin and 22.8 per cent of the RDA of Vitamin A.
Similarly, people consume 188.8 per cent of the RDA of roots and tubers, but only 81.3 per cent of the RDA of milk and milk products, 59.5 per cent of the RDA of green leafy vegetables, and 69.6 per cent of the RDA of cereals and millets.
T. Longvah, director of the National Institute of Nutrition, says, “The nutrition data collected from urban areas has allowed us to conduct a detailed analysis of health and nutritional status of people. This can be very useful in understanding and tackling problems of obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Using various approaches of communication, a behavioural change must be effected so that the benefits of a healthy lifestyle are available to all.”
The data in the report, which is currently presented in a form of a technical analysis, must be decoded and conveyed to people. This will allow people to benefit from the information.
